Glee star who came out as transgender speaks for the first time
A former Glee actor and singer who revealed he is transgender has spoken for the first time since his coming out.
The actor, who is now known as Jake Zyrus, said he never wanted to step on stage again not as a man.
Zyrus began work on the musical hit in its second season, starring in the role of Sunshine Corazon, a foreign exchange student.
Speaking to Philippino publication The Inquirer, Zyrus said transitioning was a natural process.
“I just went with the flow, as always.
“I had to wait, because I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” he said.
“What I was sure of, though, was that I wanted to present the real me the next time I stepped onstage.
“What pushed me was seeing other people having a hard time telling the world who they truly are.”
The singer, originally from the Philippines, added: “They’re the reason why I did this – aside from personal reasons, of course.
“It’s a screen name for now, but the fact that people are calling me by that name is a big deal for me as a transman.
“I hope to eventually change my name officially, but not anytime soon – that’s a complicated process.
“I’d choose a different name, if that time ever comes.”
Since the star revealed the next stage in his journey and his new name, he has taken to social media to thank all his fans for their support.
“My first tweet as Jake. Overwhelmed. Saw all your love comments and I’m so happy. Finally. I love you, everyone and see you soon,” Zyrus said.
“I won’t let anyone ruin this moment. I won’t let anyone ruin my happiness. Thank you to all the beautiful write ups about me.”
The star also took to Instagram posting an image reading, “Thank you.”
The Instagram post was captioned, “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the love and respect. I love you back and I’m sending peace to everyone.”
Since announcing the news Zyrus has received lots of support from fans on Twitter.
One person tweeted “@jakezyrus I love you JAKE. fully support all the way love from Singapore. Be strong stay happy and pray always.”
Another tweet read, “Life is short, do the things that makes you happy. Jake or Charice we’re always gonna be here for you.”
Zyrus has appeared in a number of TV shows and films, including The X Factor Philippines in 2012 as a judge.
Glee ended in 2015 and had aired a total of six seasons and had a number of LGBT storylines.
The show also featured a 200 member transgender choir as part of a storyline centring around a transition of a character.
